The invention relates to processing apparatuses with one or more electromagnetic launches. More specifically, the invention relates to the launching of electromagnetic energy, such as microwave energy, into a reaction mixture, for example, which may include one or more reactants and may include a catalyst, in order to enhance a chemical process.
Electromagnetic and radio frequency (RF) energy, such as microwave energy, can be used in a variety of processes to enhance physical or chemical reactions. For example, RF energy (i.e., energy propagating at about 3 kHz to about 300 GHz) can be used with a catalyst to enhance the chemical reaction of a plurality of reactants. When using microwaves, the process is typically referred to as microwave-assisted or microwave-enhanced chemistry.
One of the challenges of utilizing RF energy, particularly microwave energy, in such processes is to efficiently couple the electromagnetic energy into the reaction mixture being processed. It is typically preferable that the electromagnetic energy be launched in such a way as to avoid or control hot spots in the reaction mixture and to adequately distribute the electromagnetic energy into the reaction mixture so that dead zones can be reduced or controlled.